Jamie W. was on point to find our accommodations in Dublin, a daunting task since I was the comparatively seasoned traveler. Previously, I stayed at the Castle, old and stodgy but close to the heart of the city, and the Beacon, hip and trendy but way down south in the suburb of Sandyford. He found the ideal compromise in the Aberdeen Lodge in Sandymount, which is a lot closer to the city center than the Beacon. With its facade covered in leafy foliage, the classic Edwardian guesthouse appeared to be in a much more gentrified part of town nestled in the middle of a tree-lined street (photo: http://bit.ly/2eQdq1I). It's about a ten-minute walk from the Sydney Parade DART station.
You can catch a train and be at Trinity College in about fifteen minutes. It's quite charming inside with a fireplace in the parlor where one of the staff explains all the amenities, provides directions to all the attractions, and serves tea and cookies in proper fashion (photo: http://bit.ly/2gpuRXA). We stayed in a classic double room on the top floor, just three flights up, for a reasonable $162.50 per night (photo: http://bit.ly/2f9TCSA). We thought we were gonna die because there wasn't a TV in the room, but it turned out we just crashed when we came back from a day of romping like wild Irishmen. Breakfast in the conservatory was quite a treat since they offer quite a selection of traditional Irish dishes.
Indeed on our first morning there, Jamie had the full Traditional Irish Breakfast with grilled bacon, fried egg, sausage, white pudding, black pudding, grilled tomato and mushrooms (photo: http://bit.ly/2fF1GP9), while I had the comparatively lighter Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Irish Salmon & Chives (photo: http://bit.ly/2gtohQA). And that was after a full spread of fruit, yogurt and baked goods like homemade scones with blackberry preserves (photo: http://bit.ly/2gtrYWj). After breakfast, we took advantage of the expansive, manicured yard in the back to plot our itineraries for the days ahead (photo: http://bit.ly/2fa1mDL). A charming place with a most accommodating staff, highly recommended. read more